


Labyrinth A Continuation

by Elphaba_Fiyerobert



Category: Adam Lambert (Musician), David Bowie (Musician), Labyrinth (1986)
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-01-22
Updated: 2014-01-22
Packaged: 2018-01-09 15:48:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 18,196
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1147798
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elphaba_Fiyerobert/pseuds/Elphaba_Fiyerobert
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Have you ever wondered what happened after the film ended? Why did Sarah and Jareth never fall in love? Well years on, they do meet again. On the eve of Sarah's wedding she is obsessed with loves lost, and goes in search of her King, a broken man now. But in the labyrinth she finds a new Goblin King has taken over the sinister Adam Lambert and he isn't willing to let her go.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

(Sarah's tale)

Sarah, she was all grown up now, working in an office and earning a good wage. Engaged to a Vanderbelt, old, old money. She would never want for anything in her life, she would never need to work, or worry about bills. At the weekends she went out to their old family home, which had 11 bedrooms, a heated indoor pool, sauna, gym, tennis courts and a thousand other things. Everything a girl could dream of.

So why was she still dreaming?

Why did she feel so miserable, so lonely?

Why did she long for a man who she barely even remembered?

She didn't love the man she was to marry, her step mother had set it up to be rid of her. It was a deal done between their parents, they had little to no say in the matter. The man didn't love her anymore then she did, he didn't swing that way. For the sake of their family, she did it and kept the peace. Even though it broke her heart to do so, she felt that she would never feel love again. To be loved, and love in return was one of the most important things to her now. You always wanted what you couldn't have it seemed. The wedding was a few weeks away at most now, and thinking of it didn't fill her with love, but with dread and a terrible longing.

Sarah walked home alone, along dark streets from the tube station. She had been working late again, a big case was going to court in a few days. She had nothing better to do then pretend to play happy families, so Sarah had offered to stay behind and prepare the case files. As she walked along, she heard the clock striking, and automatically started to count the beats. 9, 10, 11, 12, so it was midnight was it?

She sighed and thought about having to be back in the office for 8 in the morning. She should have just stayed the night there! Another bell tolled out in the silent evening. "Thirteen?" She thought, "That was weird". But at the back of her mind, she remembered another clock which used to strike 13 times.

Sarah shook her head, she was just being silly now and she knew it, no clock struck 13 times, it was impossible! As she crossed the road to her flat, and pulled the key out, she heard a whispering, but gruff male voice. "Should you need us?" Then another higher voice, "Yes, should you need us!" She looked around, there was no one there of course. Her mind was playing tricks on her, she was so tired that must be why!

Hurrying towards the house, Sarah dragged her key out and let herself in quickly. Dropping off her jacket and handbag on a table just inside the door, she went straight to her bedroom closet and routed through some boxes on the top shelf. Dust pouring onto her head, she wouldn't stop until she found the right box. Her tiredness completely forgotten now. A memory had been sparked from long ago, she had to know if it was real or not. She moved a pile of jumpers, and there it was.

Nothing special, just a plain white box, covered in childish stickers and drawings. Sarah moved to the bed, and sat down placing the box on her knee. It had been ten years since she had opened that box. Ten years and three shrinks, since she had allowed herself to think about her special place or the man whose eyes burned like diamonds.

Jareth, the King of the Goblins, he had been the only man that she had ever loved. For years on her birthday, she would find a gift on her window ledge waiting for her when she awoke. A crystal, a goblin toy, something that would remind her of him. Fifteen, she had been just fifteen years old when she had first met him. For all her attitude and bluster and desperation to save toby, she had fallen for him, and fallen bad. The gifts that he had offered had tempted her so badly, she had hardly resisted him. Deep down she doubted that she had ever wanted to.

Her 18th birthday, her coming of age, he had left her a beautiful pendant studded with rare stones and a key plain and made of solid brass. She had known instantly what it was to open, but she was too scared to go. Too worried about leaving everything else behind. For a whole year she saw nothing of her friends, she had cried her eyes out with the loss. Her Step Mother reading her diary of her crazy seeming tales, had sent her to a shrink and then another.

By the time her 19th birthday had come around there was a gift of a single white owl feather on her doorstep. Sarah had been too frightened to pick it up after all her sessions. She left it there and packed away everything that had ever mattered to her. Not having the strength in herself to throw it away, she'd hidden it away in her closet. The feather had laid there for days getting wet and dirty. The day she moved into her own place an owl feather could be found on her doorstep at the new house. Again she ignored it.

That night she was woken by the sounds of a man sobbing, when she looked outside there was no one there. The feather was missing in the morning. Sarah had moved on as best she could and forgotten about Jareth and the Labyrinth, but she had always grieved for the loss of her lover. Something had died inside her that night, and she had known that she would never love again.

Now here she was, 30 in a handful of months, almost married, with a great job. She should be the happiest girl alive. The job bored her, she spent hours looking out of the window wishing and hoping for more. The man could never love her or her him.

Sarah would never know if it was her desperation to escape, to love and live once more in the sunlight. Jareth's need for her, or just her imagination which had finally shattered the lock on her memories of her past. But as she lifted the lid off of the box she felt like a teenager again. The treasures of her past fell back into her life. The Ludo doll that was so cute, the Sir Didymus toy that was larger then the person it portrayed! The musical box, her hands lingered on this winding her up and allowing the long lost tune chime out in the room.

Crying she hugged it closer, as she found the book that had started it all off. A small red leather bound copy of the labyrinth. Flicking to the place it always fell open at she read aloud. "Through dangers untold, and hardships unnumbered, I have fought my way here to the castle, beyond the Goblin City to take back the child that you have stolen."

Those words were almost the last ones she had spoken to Jareth, bar six more. She couldn't bring herself to say those six because it was a lie. He did have power over her, he always had and always would. He crept into her heart and took over her life and soul. He was an addiction that she couldn't live without no matter how much she tried to convince herself otherwise. She had been craving for his touch, his glance all this time. She felt dead and empty when he wasn't there, a shallow husk.

Memories of her days in the Labyrinth flew back to her, mixed with the bittersweet of seeing in her mind that amazing man. Her heart froze in her chest, how had she ever given him up? How had she lived this pale imitation of a life when there was so much more out there for her? She had seen it, tasted it and thrown it all away. Stupid child! She abused herself.

"Say your right words!" the shadows whispered.

Sarah thought long and hard what the words had been, but so many years had passed for her. Had it started with 'I wish' or had it been 'Goblin King'? She remembered using both, but not which had worked. Right now she would try anything to get to see him one more time.

"I wish the King of the Goblins was here with me?" she asked. Looking around and waiting a few minutes she was gutted to see nothing had happened. She tried again, fighting back the tears. "Goblin King, Goblin King, where ever you might be. I'm sorry, please forgive me. I need you!"

Still nothing happened, broken hearted Sarah threw herself back on the bed and cried herself to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

(Jareth and Hoggle's story)

The Kingdom of the Labyrinth had kept on going as it always had. Jareth carried on trying to woo the girl with his gifts and secrets he shared with her. In his heart he knew that she would never be his. She was a human after all, a child, her world and his could never live together. His realm was magic, goblins and fairies and hers was science, facts and realties. They were like oil and water, they could never mix together.

His servants, his friends, they could live happily in her dreams and memories and the memories of a million others who dreamed of them every night. That was enough to sustain them, all they needed was to be remembered and recognised. Jareth, he needed more then that. He needed her! And without her he was dying, a long slow lingering death. Suffering more then he had ever known was possible. The torture of her absence was driving him mad.

At first he pretended everything was okay after Sarah didn't use the gift of the Kingdom Key he gave her on her coming of age. He started to fly into terrible rages. Everyone soon learned to keep well out of his way, when the anger hit him if they didn't want to end up head first in the Bog of Eternal Stench.

By the time Sarah's next birthday came around, Jareth was swinging between angry rages where he would blow chunks of the labyrinth to pieces, to dark moods where he wouldn't eat, speak, sleep or even leave the Castle for days.

Hoggle, Ludo and Sir Didymus started to takeover control of the goblins. Repairing what needed it, after the rages and generally hiding the fact that their Lord was slowly losing his mind. The middle of the night they would run out with a crew of those they trusted and try mending the broken walls. If only mending broken hearts was so easy. The longer it kept up, the harder it was for them to keep up. They only had so much time a night and each day Jareth destroyed more and more. They struggled to keep hiding the wreckage, they were exhausted from keeping the effort up.

The last time Sarah spurned him was too much for the Goblin King, he sat outside her house all night waiting for her to come and take his feather. When she didn't come to be with him, he knew he had lost everything. He cried in pain and loss, taking himself back to his home.

That night he worked silently on his own, without beast or goblin at his side. He shut the Castle off, boarded every window and door. Withdrew himself from the world, sat in his throne and wished for death. An escape from all this, darkness, all this pain and misery. This never ending prison of love lost forever.

Years passed by, the Labyrinth slowly crumbling, turning to decay around them as their master did the same. His magic waning away from him, with despair. All the energy he had left, Jareth used to keep his defences in place. Even those started to weaken as the years passed. He was too withdrawn, too depressed to even remember why he needed to use his magic.

X X X

Hoggle battered away at the barriers every single day, trying to find a way in. Jareth's magic was too strong for him to break through. He wanted to help his friends so badly, but he didn't know what to do. Then it happened, he wasn't quite sure when or how, but one day he noticed a board was loose on one of the windows. He pulled out his tools and worked on it, and slowly managed to remove the board from the glass. That was it, he finally had a way in, a way to help out.

Hoggle smashed the window, and listened to see if there was any reaction. There was nothing, no plasma bolts, no sending him to the Bog, not even a voice shouting at him. That was worrying, the fact that Jareth wasn't responding to him, chilled Hoggle to his core. He moved silently through the window and looked around inside. The palace was destroyed, rubble crunched under the goblins feet. Holes smashed in the walls, furniture, ornaments in tattered pieces. There was hardly anything left now.

He climbed the stairs, trying not to slip on the broken stones. Cobwebs covered every surface he saw, candles burned low in the sconces almost flickering out. Where was Jareth? There was no sound coming from the castle, nothing at all. There was no evidence here that anyone was even here. Worrying about his friend and master Hoggle struck out towards the Throne Room hoping to find some good news there.

The throne room door was hanging off its hinges, scorched and burned. He hated to think what had happened here. He was terrified, as he nudged the door open the smell of decay and dirt hit him full force. The throne room was even messier and more smashed then the rest of the place. The throne held a tangled mess of feathers, clothing and what looked like a pair of boots covered in cobwebs and dust. Hoggle took a few steps closer, before he froze. Was that a body? Tell me that their Lord wasn't dead, he couldn't take it if he was!

X X X

Jareth floated in a world of pain, he tried to sleep and forget. He could never sleep enough, there was nothing that kept the pain away for long enough. He had thought about ending his existence so many times, but was too cowardly to complete the task. He hated himself for that, and he hated himself for falling for a stupid human child who could never love him. Then he thought about it all some more and hated himself for thinking of Sarah as just another human child when she was so very much more. She was special, intelligent, kind, caring, loving, trusting, imaginative, strong and determined.

Then the next minute he thought she was a shallow evil bitch, a tramp who tortured him with her words. He sighed; he didn't know how he felt anymore. He just wanted it all to end, forever. He was tired, in his body and in his mind. The struggles were too much for him, the endless trying to keep up the defences on his Castle. His magic weakening every day, his mind half destroyed with grief. He saw Sarah everywhere he looked, heard her laugh. His memories of her in the Labyrinth with him, were all that kept him from death now.

His fevered dreams took him to the ballroom; he was dancing with his lover. The music swirled around them, the images faint like paper. He pulled Sarah closer, smelling her hair and her beauty. He never wanted to let her go. The music surrounded them, kept them safe in a world of his own devising. He knew it wasn't real, but he wanted it to be so badly. Was that so wrong? That he needed her so much, his mind created the fact that she was there!

Jareth could hear a whispering, a strangle rustling just outside of his awareness. The image around him faded, "NO!" he howled as the ballroom left him. Tears on his face, freely falling. Everywhere was dark for a moment, and for just a second he saw the real Sarah in her flat, on her bed. "I need you." She whispered. If only it was true, but he knew it could never be. She had made her choice a long time ago, and now he had to live with it.

X X X

Trying to keep himself strong, Hoggle inched forwards towards the bundle of cloth. He couldn't tell if it was the Lord or not, or even if he was alive. It certainly smelled like death in the room. He saw a cold, white hand lying on the arm of the chair unmoving and reached forward to touch it.

"What do you want Headwart?" a dry voice asked.

Hoggle jumped back in shock, he couldn't hide his relief that the King was still alive. He looked in a very bad way, but he was alive. "I came to see if you are okay, your Kingdom needs you my Lord. It is in chaos." He asked.

Jareth's hand waved him away, and his head moved slightly just enough he could see the annoying creature disturbing him. "The Kingdom can burn for all I care, let it ruin, let it be destroyed! I don't want it anymore, there's no point in it all now!"

Hoggle drew back, was he really so destroyed that he really didn't care? "You don't mean that!" he whispered.

Jareth swung up out of the chair on unsteady feet, he couldn't remember the last time he had actually stood or moved from that spot. "Don't tell me what I do and don't mean you little ant!" he snapped, "This is my Kingdom, my existence, you are just a servant of mine. Be mindful of your tongue or I will throw you in the Bog before you can blink!"

Hoggle smiled, "That's more like it Sir."

Jareth folded back in on himself, that out burst had snapped the little strength he had left. He lowered himself carefully back onto his throne. "Hogwart, be gone I am tired. I'm not in the mood for your games right now."

His friend shook his head, "I will go for now, but I want you to think about something. Do you really think that Sarah would want you to be like this? Do you really think Sarah would have put up with your tempers, and your mood swings and your pathetic childish behaves? Do you think she would want HER Labyrinth destroyed because you wanted to take a 14 year nap and still be tired!"

"GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE!" Jareth roared, dragging the little magic he had left to himself, "DON'T YOU EVER MEANTION THAT NAME TO ME AGAIN IF YOU WANT TO LIVE!"

Hoggle ran, he was terrified, he had pushed the King further then he wanted to. At least he now knew that he was alive, and weak, but now they could all work with that and try and make things better. He had to get back to the others and tell them what he had discovered!


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

(Jareth's Tale)

The Goblin King watched Hoggle rush from the room, when he was out of sight he sunk back into the chair completely exhausted. The pain beating in his chest once more from the simple mention of her name. Tears fell on his face as he pictured her smiling face, her innocent beauty. Her voice so sweet and pure, like music to his ears even when she was fighting with him, desperate to escape with her brother. Perhaps that was his favourite memory of Sarah. The fact that she had been brave enough, strong enough in herself to be able to say no to him. No one else ever had in his whole existence.

Everything in this world was his or under his control and then some teenager stumbles into his life changing everything and everyone she touched. Even himself, the King of all this Land. He had been so much better and stronger with her next to him. Building and planning better worlds and more brilliant traps, more complicated labyrinths. The Towers of the City had grown ever taller, ever brighter. This world was amazing just for having met that young girl. Even if he saw her for just a moment his mind was brimming with ideas, brilliant new fresh ideas from her mind.

Then it had all stopped, he had lost everything the day she had refused his feather. Jareth's world had darkened and crumbled, his imagination had vanished along with his desire to live in this world. He had tried so hard to carry on, but it was so hard and he was so very tired and old suddenly. Everywhere he looked he saw her face staring back at him. Ripping the broken pieces of his heart into even smaller shreds, shreds that in time had blackened and charred leaving him a hollow creature. Eventually leading him to the path that had brought him here. Making him lock himself away from everyone and everything that had used to matter to him.

Leaving Jareth staring at a small charcoal etching he had made watching her sleeping. Jareth needed her more then he would ever know, and more then he could ever understand. She was the other half of his soul, when he was with her he felt whole, when they were apart the loss crushed him. Leaving him unable to function.

Jareth dragged himself to the window, weakly he sat on the ledge and looked out. Hoggle was right, his realms were in ruins, tattered and destroyed, and hardly anything was left now. Many of his creations turning back to wild. If Sarah did come back now she wouldn't recognise this place anymore.

In a way he knew that he really should mend everything, Hoggle had said the truth earlier that was why he had been so angry with him. Sarah would be so angry at him for letting everything just fall apart like he had. He just didn't have the strength left to do anything about it anymore. He thought about the dream he had had, Sarah calling out to him, needing him as badly as he needed her. Wishful thinking nothing else, or so he thought anyway. He needed it so much to be real right now, needed to find some comfort in his memories. He envied Sarah in a way, being able to live her life and forget about the labyrinth, forget all about him. He would give anything to be able to just forget her too. But it just wasn't possible, not for him.

Jareth hung his head in shame resting against the wall taking strength from the solidness of the cool stone. A thought crossed his mind, a dark thought, one that his mind latched onto. He mentally worked out the distance between himself and the ground. Was it far enough to destroy his body or just leave him badly hurt? Forty feet give or take a few he worked it out as, surely that was enough? Without Jareth lurking around, the Labyrinth could pick its own champion, its own Master and that person could rebuild it all in his own image.

Sarah's Labyrinth would continue on, and be everything she remembered and more on top of it as well. He just wouldn't be a part of that world anymore. Jareth felt a twinge of regret at that thought, but only for a moment. He knew that it was better that way, that with it all over he wouldn't be a disappointment to those around him anymore.

That was the worst part for him, seeing the look in the eyes of the others around him, disgusted at what he had let himself become. Jareth clicked his fingers and a shade brought him a tray of parchment, ink and a quill to write his final words on, and a bottle of a foul herb potion. Faerie wine ancient old, he had been storing it for a special day, he figured his death was a good enough event then anything else.

The shade placed the tray on the ledge and disappeared again. It wasn't a true creation, just a shadow of what one could be. It had no mind, no free will, it just obeyed Jareth's orders. The King pulled the stopper out of the bottle with his teeth and spat it onto the floor taking a huge gulp. The wine of the faerie was strong, a thimbleful would be enough to put most mortals on their backs. Jareth cared little tonight how strong it was or how much he drank, not as if he would need to worry about a hangover. He would be dead before he had time to sober up.

The wine was making his hand unsteady as he detailed his wishes that the labyrinth would be continued on by a worthy king, one who would rebuild it in his own image. That Sarah and Toby would be welcomed into the lands as long as they lived, and always find a home here. He was leaving the keys of the kingdom to Hoggle, in caretaking until such a time as a new King could be found. His spidery scrawl covered many pieces of parchment by the time he was finished writing all the legal words, and there was only a little wine left in the bottle.

Sealing the orders with his royal mark, Jareth sent the shade to take away the writing materials leaving the package on the ledge next to him. Jareth stared at it for a long time, and then he slowly started to finish the wine off. Now he had made the choice to leave this realm and try to find some solace in the afterlife he found himself in a strange state of calm. At peace for the first time in all these years. The Elf stood slowly and dragged himself to the edge of the window. He smiled to himself, "Goodbye Sarah." He whispered.

Hoggle meanwhile was at the base of the tower with Ludo and Sir Didymus passing on the information he had gained from his visit to the tower. "In short we are in trouble," Hoggle rounded up, "Jareth is damaged perhaps beyond our repair. The loss of Sarah is killing him and we need to find something to help him while there is still a Labyrinth left to save!"

Sir Didymus in his usual fashion jumped up, "My valiant steed, and I will quest to the ends of the earth to find a cure for a broken heart! Risking life and limb to bring harmony back to our lands!"

"Short of finding someone else for our Lord to fall in love with, I'm not sure there is such a cure even in the magically controlled lands." Hoggle answered.

"Sarah back?" Ludo asked hopefully.

Hoggle thought about that simple little answer, "It wouldn't be easy, she's past the age of imagination. We would need a link between her and this world, OUR world."

Didymus jumped up again, "A quest to find the fair lady and reunite their love. What could be nobler!" I accept this vital quest!" he exclaimed.

Before Hoggle could answer, they heard a massive crash from the other side of the tower. "Oh no!" Hoggle muttered rushing over to find their King lying at the bottom of the window, his leg and arm at awkward angles. "You idiot!" Hoggle ranted kicking him, "What are we meant to do now!"


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

(Sarah and Toby)

Sarah woke the next morning the hole in her heart still raw from her wishing her life away the night before. Robotically she went through the working day, not really paying attention to the world around her. She didn't want to be here, she just wanted to crawl back into bed and let the tears come again that she'd been holding back for so many years. To wallow in the pain she felt inside, knowing that she would never love again. How could she after having loved the most perfect guy in the world, and letting him go. She had been so stupid, so young and naive. Hell if he gave her the chance again right now, to hell with Toby she'd have stayed in a heartbeat. But you couldn't turn back time and have your choices again. No matter how much you wished it.

Her phone was ringing silently, vibrating down the desk towards her. She ignored it, Sarah didn't feel like talking to anyone right now. Just to get on with her work and to go back home and drown how she felt away in a bottle of red wine or two where no one could see her.

When Sarah had finished preparing the final folder, and set it on her boss's desk she breathed a sigh of relief now she could finally escape. Picking up her bag, she headed for the train home regretfully remembering she had promised to drop in and see her brother that evening. She daydreamed the ride away thinking of all the days gone by. Loves found and lost again, doodling random designs on her notebook when she should have been writing case notes. She hadn't really been paying much attention to what she was writing, but when she glanced down at the paper she realised that she had written one word over and over again. Jareth, Jareth, Jareth….and so on staring back at her.

She grunted in annoyance at herself and threw her book and pen back in her bag. Continuing the journey staring out of the window panes lost in thought.

Toby had grown up since the days of the labyrinth, and tormenting his big sister. At barely 16 years of age, he already owned a penthouse apartment in a nice area, with wonderful views and a profitable career as a manga artist. Drawings littered the desk and were hanging up around the room. Fairies, dragons, stone mazes, dark elves, goblins and much more.

He remembered the labyrinth so well and he kept those memories alive by drawing them. Making up stories in which he used all the people he remembered meeting. Then if the memories started to fade he just had to read his books to refresh them and keep his mind form clouding with age.

Through his childhood, Toby had revisited the lands many times. He would just turn a corner on the way back from school and he'd find himself in the goblin city, or dancing with the fierce fireys. Then just as suddenly it had all stopped. He hadn't been able to access those lands in years no matter how he tried.

The last time he had ever visited, he had been 11 or 12 and had stumbled onto a crumbling path on holiday one day. He had been walking the path a while before he realised where he really was, an old and broken down piece of the labyrinth. Crumbling matter and decaying stonework all around him. He had been there only moments longer, before he heard a voice and turned to see Jareth stood behind him. The man looked broken and beaten, but he had summoned the strength to glower at him.

"BE GONE!" he had said, his voice thundering through the remains of the stones. Toby had found himself back on a cold grey street near his home, miles from where he had just been. Never again had he seen those lands, which was why he forced himself to remember them every day. He knew it was important that he had to remember, for Sarah cause she couldn't remember for herself.

Toby was painting the finishing touches on his sister's birthday gift. A large portrait of the Goblin King, his eyes glowering at the viewer. He knew that Sarah couldn't remember, or didn't believe anymore what had happened. His mother had seen to that over the years, he had tried to stop it, tried to help her, but his mother had insisted that Sarah had dragged him into her delusions. He had learned fast not to speak of it, or he would have been shoved into drugs, and treatments as well and then who would help his sister!

This painting had been strange, it wasn't what he had planned to make her at all, but as soon as his brush had touched the canvas this is what he had been drawn to. His mind wouldn't think of anything else, he had been drawn to making this piece for her. It felt like life or death that he had to finish it this night or it would be too late. Jareth's eyes seared into him as he added touches of grey to the pupils, making him look oh so alive.

Toby didn't know how or why this picture would suddenly help his sister. The years of enforced medical hep had pushed her into such a deep state of denial it seemed hopeless. The impending wedding proved that to him, how on earth she could ever think about marrying some other guy when she loved the King so deeply. Toby sighed, he wanted his sister to remember so very badly, to have someone to share all this with.

More importantly he worried what had happened to the realm and the King. Jareth had looked destroyed the last time, so sad and broken without her love. He almost felt like he was playing match maker between the two even after all this time. He glanced down at the pieces of his latest manga he had left out for her to see. It was due out in just a few days now and spoke of the Kings search for his Queen who had fallen from the realms and turned into a human child with no memories of who she was. He had drawn the girl to be his sister's twin, all he had to do now was make her read it and hope for the best. Even a spark of knowledge or remembrance.

He looked at his watch, Sarah should be here soon for drinks. They had arranged it ages ago, and this was why he was rushing to finish and dry the eyes on the portrait. He grabbed up a hair dryer and carefully fluffed the canvas to dry the final cover layer as quickly as he could.

The clock chimed 9pm, where had the time gone! Moments before it seemed it had only been 7! Toby swore and rushed into the bedroom to change. Leather trousers, black cotton pirate shirt, he dressed like someone from the labyrinth most of the time. Rushed gel through his hair to spike it quickly, and was just pulling on his leather boots as she knocked on the door.

Sarah had dragged herself exhaustedly from the tube to her brother's house when really all she wanted to do was ring him and tell him she was sick. Something had kept spurring her on, despite how she felt, regardless of any thoughts or feelings of her own she knew she had to get there. It was a strange feeling, like the one she had had the other night when she had heard the voices whispering to her. She was scared she was going mad again.

She knocked on the door, and he greeted her unevenly with one platform boot on and one off. She smiled warmly, "Toby one of these days you are going to break your ankle in those!"

Toby hugged and launched himself into a hug with his sister, he was never too old for those. "It's been too long sis."

She hugged him back, "I know it has, I'm sorry Tobe I really am."

Stepping in and letting him shut the door, she looked around the flat littered with his artworks. "Business doing well then?" she asked, looking for something but she wasn't sure what.

"As always." He answered with a cheeky grin dragging the second boot on. He uncorked a bottle of vintage red wine and poured her a large glass. Sarah took it gratefully, she needed that to settle her nerves, and she sipped it in larger amounts then would normally be polite. "Five years underage and you can still buy this, sometimes I worry about you." She stated.

"You wouldn't be my big sister if you didn't worry, I promise I only use it to lure young girls to my den of pleasure." He teased.

Sarah squatted at him with her free hand, he dodged out of the way easily, watching to make sure she was drinking enough of the vile liquid. Wine wasn't his thing, but he knew it was hers. She flicked through his drawings, "You are going to be a millionaire by the time you are of age." She commented draining the glass. She almost felt jealous of his happiness and success for a moment.

"That's the plan," Toby said topping her glass back up to the brim. He wanted her at least slightly drunk before she saw the painting, try and cushion the blow or remove her defences he wasn't quite sure which. That was why he had bought some larger glasses then normal, and what he was promised was a very potent aged brew. By the way Sarah's cheeks were starting to redden it looked like he had been guided well.

Sarah took another big gulp of the potion, the wine was calming her nerves and dulling the ache in her heart. She had to stop herself from snatching the bottle off him and gulping it straight from there. She needed to forget so much right now, lock back down those memories and feelings that had been resurfacing. The glass was nearly empty again, she didn't know how it was going down so fast, she was sure she wasn't drinking it that fast as he topped her up again. "You trying to get me drunk little brother?" she asked.

"Would I do that?" he asked innocently pushing one of the drawings closer to her. She'd drunk enough by now that she let it slide easily enough. "I have a new book coming out in a few weeks." He mentioned.

"How interesting." Sarah said distractedly. She felt dizzy for a moment, nothing to do with the wine, but more like she had vertigo. Like she was standing at a great height looking down, she had never been good in high places. She downed the rest of the glass in one trying to ignore the sensation. "What's it about?" she asked, thinking she really didn't want to hear the answers.

Toby wondered what was happening to his sister, she had been looking at a drawing of the labyrinth and then she had grown distant and distressed again. Still she was off balance in more ways then one and he might not get another chance so he pressed on. "It's about finding a lost love, the king knows that his queen is out there lost and alone, and needs him. He can't find her because she doesn't want to be found. She is too frightened of herself to allow him to love her, and worship her, and be her slave. She's even frightened of how she feels towards him. So you can never be truly happy, can you Sarah?" he asked.

Sarah's head snapped around instantly, replying without even really knowing what she was saying. He had triggered the part of her which remembered just as he had hoped he would. "You don't know what you are talking about, you are just a child." She said with scorn, "You have never been in love, you don't know how this feels. He's nothing like that, he's…."

She trailed off, having seen the edge of the painting under a cloth he had used to partially hide the scene. She ripped it off in one motion and stared at the face looking back at her. The face of the man she loved more then life itself. The glass dropped from her hand and shattered, everything around her seemed so unreal right now, so distant. Other then the image in front of her, the faerie man, with his cloak of feathers and a crown of pure light. Toby had captured the very essence of the King in this image.

That face captivated her, drew her to it, obsessed her with how it looked. "Was it real? Was all of it real? And him?" she asked Toby desperately, "Did I forget everything?"

Toby nodded, "It all really happened, you really did save me, but at the cost of your own heart and his. The King of the Goblins really did fall in love with a girl, and he really did grant her certain powers. I gave you the book for Christmas hoping it would be enough, I've been trying for years to help you remember. I'm sorry sis I didn't know what else to do."

A tear escaped his eye and she watched it fall down her brother's cheek. She was drawn back to the picture, "Oh Jareth, my love, what did I do to you? What did I let them do to me!" she whispered touching his painted face wishing so hard that it was really him standing there.

Toby came up and put his hand on her shoulder, "You need to remember your soul mate completely. You need to remember the labyrinth and how to get there. He needs you, without you he is dying. Please Sarah, grab on to anything you have left of him and hold on to it, or he will die and then you will too. You can't live without out him any more then he can without you."

Sarah touched her brother's hand and squeezed it drawing strength from him. "I need him Toby, so badly. I tried to move on, I tried to be normal, human but I can't. I screamed myself horse wishing for him to come back for me. He doesn't want me anymore I broke his heart, I lost my chance for happiness forever."

Toby opened his mouth to answer her, to try and reassure her it wasn't too late, but in his heart he wasn't sure. Sarah suddenly doubled over in pain, screaming, her face white, and her knuckles digging into his arm making it bleed. "What's wrong?" Toby demanded, "Tell me what's happening, what you need!"

Sarah couldn't answer him, her mind was full of images of Jareth lost and alone, hidden away from the world just like she had. She heard him whispering, and strained to hear the words. "Goodbye Sarah." And then she saw him jump out of the window, and his broken body hit the ground. She screamed hysterically, muttering his name over and over.

She was crying, lashing out, screaming, Toby tried to calm her and stop her from hurting herself. "He's dead, don't you see I killed him and I never even got to tell him that I loved him!" she howled.

"Then tell him now!" Toby insisted, "Let the last words he hears be yours. He deserves that much!"

Sarah curled into her brother's shoulder, living off his strength because hers was no more. She braced herself and spoke the words she needed to say, that he needed to hear. "Jareth, King of the Goblins, I love you. I always did and I always will. Please forgive me, please don't be dead. I love you, I need you!"

Somewhere a very long way away, Hoggle stood next to Jareth's body too scared to touch him. Too frightened to find out if what he saw was real or not. Because if it was real then everything changed, nothing would ever be the same for any of them. Hoggle heard a whispering in the air around the castle and around them.

Just for a moment he saw a shadowy figure of Sarah, much older then he had last seen her and she appeared in front of him. She looked at Hoggle and nodded, then knelt by Jareth never touching him. Leaning down towards his ear. "I love you Jareth, now and forever, please don't leave me." She whispered before fading away. Leaving the servant and the master alone again.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

(Sarah and Toby)

Sarah spent the next week in her bedroom, refusing to leave. She phoned in sick at work, turned off her phone, and locked her door. The world could go to hell for all she cared now; she had no place in it anymore. She drank, she slept and she cried that was all the life that Sarah had left now. The grief of losing the only man she had never loved too much for her to process.

Her husband to be had come to see her several times; she wouldn't answer the door to him. He threatened to leave her, saying she was acting crazy again like when she was a teenager. That she needed locking up for good this time. Sarah angry opened the door a crack and threw the ring back at him, slamming the door shut again. "

Sarah meant it as well as she lay there crying into her pillow. "If I can't have him, that I don't want to live anymore!" she decided. She just needed to decide how it was to happen, but it would happen sooner or later. If they couldn't be together in life, perhaps they could be in death. She had to hope they could at least, and even if they weren't at least this pain would all be over finally.

On the eight day after Jareth had 'died', Toby could take no more of trying to let his sister heal in peace. He took the spare key that she had given him, and let himself into the flat. All he could smell was sour wine; the house looked as if it had been trashed. Every piece of furniture overturned, mirrors smashed, ornaments all broken. It looked like a hurricane had hit the room!

Picking his way carefully over the debris, Toby found Sarah in her room, lying on the floor wrapped in a blanket, half-drunk bottles lay all around her. She had clearly been abusing the substance for some time, she looked in a terrible state, the loss of her loved one hitting her harder than anyone could have expected.

Without a word, Toby shoved all the mess and glass off of his sisters bed, scooped her up and laid her on it. He cleaned the room, and the rest of the apartment while she slept, hoping that she would feel better if she woke in a place that didn't smell like a wine cellar. It was all he could do for her right now, even though he knew he needed to do a lot more if he wanted to save his sister.

A long time later Sarah awoke to see sun streaming through her window, she groaned as the full force of her hang over hit her tired brain. She felt around for a bottle, but couldn't find one. She felt around the other side of her and felt nothing there either. That was strange, she knew there had been more than one bottle left the night before, or whenever the last time was she had been awake and aware.

Sarah hardly cared about anything anymore; something had died inside of her the night her soul mate had jumped. She cursed herself for being a silly, spiteful little girl who had destroyed any chance of happiness that either of them had ever had.

Broken, destroyed the girl quit her job over the phone that morning then pulled the phone line out of the wall. Her cell phone was still turned off; she would pay little attention to the outside world for the next few months. Sarah dressed in clothes of mourning, walking through life barely existing. Speaking to neither friend nor family. She took a cleaning job nearby her flat, some sort of music company.

It didn't matter to Sarah what it was, it was anonymous which was exactly how she wanted to be right now. Unnoticed, uncared for, alone, she felt she deserved no less after all she had done.

The music she heard first thing in the morning when the bands practiced helped as well, she could lose herself in the sounds. They had some new artist they were raving about, some guy called David Bowie, hearsay was they had found him singing in the subway.

As the weeks turned into months, her raw heart never stopped aching. Toby kept leaving Sarah messages that she ignored, sending parcels that she never opened. She didn't think or feel anything anymore. Just woke up, drank, worked, came home, drank, bed repeat every single day. Sarah didn't want to break from that routine even for a moment, she was punishing herself for the rest of her existence until she found the strength inside to finish the job she'd started.

She trudged away at her daily tasks without speaking to anyone; this morning was no different to any other, until a tune coming from one of the recording studios caught her attention. She stopped her sweeping and radiated towards to closed music studio doors. A haunting melody played out, something that was so familiar, so comfortable. She felt like she had come home for the first time in years, as she listened to the words.

If you say run, I'll run with you

If you say hide, we'll hide

Because my love for you

Would break my heart in two

If you should fall

Into my arms

And tremble like a flower

Sarah listened, the words trying to take her heart back to her one true love. It sounded so much like his words, his voice. She twisted the pendant he had given her that she hadn't taken off, her other hand on the door handle. Her eyes misted up, it wasn't real, it couldn't be, Jareth was dead, and nothing could change that. She withdrew her hand and walked quickly away back to her work.

If only she had turned back and looked behind her as the young man walked out of the studio, talking to his manager about album contracts. He had a strange feeling turning around to look at the strange young girl in the sweatpants walking away from the room.

For a moment he almost knew her, he opened his mouth to shout after her, but his manager asked him a question and the moment was lost. Distracted Mr. Bowie turned and waked away, his heart surprisingly heavy for a man who was getting everything he had always wanted.

Money, fame, status, it was what he wanted...

Right?

What he had always dreamed of?


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

(Of Hoggle, Jareth and a peach)

Hoggle looked at the body of his King all broken and damaged on the ground. He had known that his Lord's mood was dark; they all had even though they have all tried to ignore it. But to take his own life, over a silly little girl? He was better than that, better than her. How could he have allowed this to happen?

A letter came fluttering down from the window sill, Jareth's suicide note. Hoggle ripped it open and read it. Some utter tripe about them needing a stronger king. How he couldn't rule without the woman he loved standing at his side. The he hoped that they forgave him for what he'd had to do. Suggesting a hunt for a new lord of the labyrinth, leaving Hoggle in charge until one could be found.

"Bloody idiot, losing your head over a girl!" he muttered.

"What do we do?" Sir Didymus asked, Hoggle handed him the note the read.

Ludo a little too simple to understand all that was going off around him, went and poked the body a few times.

"Ludo, he's gone." Hoggle said.

Ludo shook his furry head and poked the mangled body again.

"Jareth good!" Ludo insisted, keeping on poking at him.

"My brother, it pains me to tell you this, but we have no King, no Leader." Didymus answered.

"We need to hide the body while we try and sort this mess out." Hoggle said.

"Wake, Wake!" Ludo insisted. That last poke did the trick, the King moaned moving slightly.

Hoggle shot around to see what was happening, "How can he be alive?" he exclaimed. Checking for himself, sure enough there was a pulse. Weak and thready, but still a pulse. "Get him inside!" Hoggle ordered.

Ludo smiled his huge tooth grin and threw the broken body over his shoulder to carry his Lord upstairs.

They cleaned the throne room, and made Jareth was comfortable as they could there. Setting the bones with what was left of the Goblin magic. The King slept on, they couldn't wake him. Some wounds even magic couldn't heal. Jareth was on his own once more, they had to hope that he had the strength inside of him to live once more.

They settled in to watch over their lord in shifts, hoping that he would wake sooner rather then later. The shifts rotated day in, day out, as days turned into weeks, and then weeks into months. Apart from the pulse, Jareth showed no signs of life.

Hoggle despaired of what to do to help, one night all alone on his shift the goblin cried quietly to himself. He'd lost both of his best friends in the world now. Sarah he had tried to hate for hurting Jareth, but he couldn't. He loved her like his own sister; he longed to get them both in a room together. Bash their heads together, say Jareth you love Sarah, Sarah you love Jareth. Then lock the

door and let them get on with it!

He could imagine it now, screaming, shouting, shock, eventually acceptance and maybe a few stolen kisses. They were stronger together, they always had been, but they were both so cursed stubborn!

"I don't know what to do here, I'm sorry, I'm not strong enough. I was never strong like you, Jareth, or like Sarah. I'm just a goblin." he said. His head in his hands Hoggle wept like his little heart was breaking, cause in a way it was.

Jareth stirred, and his eyes opened into dark slits, the dark grey of his eyes piercing into Hoggle. "Do you cry for me little man?" he asked softly, his voice cracking from disuse.

Hoggle was by his side in an instant, "My Lord I'm so happy to see you well again!"

Jareth laughed dryly, "Well, I will never be 'well'. She stole my heart Hoggle, I can't live without her. I want to die, I want to be free of the pain, don't you see that?"

"You will get better in time!" Hoggle insisted.

"Don't you think it's been time enough?" Jareth asked, "All these years and I still can't let her go!"

"I will get you some food, then you will feel better." Hoggle fussed.

"Help me be free Hoggle, help me die please. I'm begging you to end my suffering." Jareth implored.

"I can't help you!" Hoggle snapped, rushing off for some food.

Jareth fell back into the chair too weak to move. Too tired to even attempt it. He had hoped so much that his friend would understand his needs. That their friendship was strong enough that he would care. Closing his eyes Jareth fell back into an exhausted slumber.

Hoggle brought some bread and fruit back to the chamber on a tray. Seeing his Lord was sleeping again, he placed it beside him and sat back down to keep watch. Jareth's fever had worsened; Hoggle sat there listening to him talking about and to Sarah in his sleep. His heart heavy he knew what he had to do.

The goblin went to Jareth's chambers, and hunted through the drawers. He found photos and sketches of the young girl growing up. Letters he had written to her confessing his feelings that he had never been brave enough to give her.

These were not what Hoggle wanted; he remembered a peach that Jareth had once given to Sarah. A peach that had been grown by magic. Perhaps his King had made more than one of the. Sure enough at the back of a drawer a slightly squashy, over ripe peach lay hidden.

Hoggle dusted it off and took it to the throne room. Jareth was awake again, and restless. "What do you want Headwart? Come to see me beg again?" he demanded, frustrated cause he was too weak to even rise.

"I won't kill you, and I won't help you die so no point in even asking me!" Hoggle replied.

"Then why are you here!" Jareth demanded.

Hoggle came forward, "I brought you a present, up to you if you want it."

"More wine at least would be better than this blasted bread and fruit!" Jareth complained, dashing the tray to the floor.

Hoggle sighed, and dropped the squashy fruit into his Lord's lap/ "Best I can do for you." he grouched.

Jareth stared at the fruit for a few moments until he realised what his friend was trying to give him. He beamed, truely happy for the first time in years. "Thank you Hoggle."

"Goodbye Sir, I hope you find your way back here someday." Hoggle said leaving Jareth to do what he needed to do. His heart numb, he was too upset to even think about what this meant to the rest of them.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

(Of David Bowie)

David had a reasonably good life now, a small apartment in the city, a steady job and a love for music. Whenever he had a few minutes he was always scribbling lyrics and music. He loved writing and music so much, it was his life. He ate, slept and lived it 24 hours a day, seven days a week. But sometimes David found his mind wandering like he was trying to remember something, or was it someone? It was just on the tip of his mind, and then he would lose it again. It was so frustrating.

Busking on the subway at weekends and after work, David sung his songs for spare change. When he was singing it was like nothing else mattered anymore. He could forget the nightmares that woke him up in a cold sweat, a woman's name on his lips as he woke, seconds later he would lose it again.

He saw monsters in his dreams, terrifying creatures chasing him, talking with him. Yet he was never frightened of them. Strange to see such dark images and not to shrink away from them in fear. David feared for his sanity sometimes, when he kept picturing these strange beings. When he scribbled lyrics down on his notepad, often he would start sketching the images he saw in this dreams.

On his bedroom wall, David had dozens of drawings hanging up depicting owl's feathers, a clock striking the hour, and a young girl's face. The girl was the one who captivated his heart the most, he couldn't stop thinking about her. It was a strange fascination, she felt so important to him, so special, but any memory of her disappeared like snowflakes on a sunny day. It frustrated him so very much, he knew it was vitally important that he remembered. Finding anything or anyone who could help, well that was another matter.

Then, by some miracle twist of fate, his music was heard. A talent scout walked passed him one evening and gave him a card. He liked the music, wanted to meet with him about getting it professionally recorded.

The next few months had been crazy, taking in all of his music and playing for them. Picking just 13 tracks for his first album was insane, how on earth did he know which were best? Rehearsing the music with the band, recording the songs.

Oh David, he just came to life in the recording studio. He'd spend hours and hours in there every day. Starting usually at 7 in the morning, perhaps not leaving until 8 or 9 at night. Often he would hear someone at the door listening to him preform. He didn't mind, he was just so excited that people were enjoying his work. It was exciting and terrifying, and wonderful all at the same time. To share something so personal to him with others, seeing them finding it as special as he did.

David sat in the studio late at night alone again, scribbling lyrics and trying some different rifts. He was trying to write something about the girl. That special woman, who should be in his life, but suddenly absent from it.

Who wants the love of all the world  
When here was love in the eyes of just one girl  
That day,

He couldn't get it to sound quite right, it wasn't her. David threw the writing pad on the floor in a temper. Nothing seemed right, nothing seemed good enough to describe the angel in his dreams. Her ivory skin, ebony hair, for a moment he could even remember what she smelled like, and then it was gone again all too soon.

But then a heartbeat later, it didn't matter if he could remember her or not, because he saw her walk across in front of the studio doors. She was older, and a hell of a lot sadder then she was in his dreams, but he was so sure it was her. She shrugged her coat on as she walked towards the stairs out of the building, a tatty old handbag on her shoulder. She looked like she was exhausted, and tired of everything in this world.

David was frozen in surprise, seeing her again, his heart skipped a beat. He wanted to rush after her, to ask her what was her name, and did she know him? Part of him was so afraid, there were years of his memories hazy and lost to him. Did he really want to know why his memories were gone? What if what he had lost was worse then what he had now? What if she didn't actually know him, and it was all in his head?

David was a coward and he knew it. A part of him longed to follow her, ached in his soul to do so. The rational part of his mind said wait, find out what you can about her first. Then you can make your move and ask. Even then he knew how corny it would be to go, "excuse me miss, do you know me? Because I kinda don't know myself right now. She'd think him a fool, no worse think he was mad. Somehow what she thought was so very important to him. Yet he still couldn't remember her damned name!

Frustrated David started to play again, hoping the words would ease the ache in his soul. And calm the nerves that wanted to throw it down and run after her.

Who wants the love of all the world  
When here was love in the eyes of just one girl  
That day, that precious day  
When even a fool learns to love

With thunderous applause looked down from above  
On a clown and an angel so much in love  
I'll stay with my dream, it takes such a dream  
And even a fool learns to love

With thanks to Glouth for supplying the song for this chapter. It is David Bowie's, Even a Fool Learns to Love


	8. Chapter 8

Labyrinth

Chapter 8

Authors note: Sorry for the long absence in this story, I wasn't quite sure where to go next, but I hope this will do for a teaser of the next few chapters.

Sarah woke up in the middle of the night, in a cold sweat. She couldn't sleep more then a handful of hours a night now. She felt in her bones that something was very wrong, dangerously so. Like she needed to go somewhere, and her life and soul depended on it.

As soon as her eyes opened, she was on her feet ready to go. Then a heartbeat later she would have no idea where it was she had to go or how to get there anymore. The loss would tear her heart apart and she'd fall back onto the bed sobbing her heart out. Frustrated with herself for being a child, for not being able to do what she so desperately needed to. She knew that it could save her, save them all, but she just couldn't hold onto the memories.

Darkness took them from her the second she remembered anything important. It couldn't allow them to get back together. The darkness needed them apart and hurting, distracted and off balance. That kept them weak, and malleable to its plans. For together, yes together they were stronger then either of them could imagine. If they ever stood together as King and Queen the world would tremble at their feet. They would be unstoppable, her purity balancing his evil. Ying and Yang together in total harmony, their souls resonating to the same tune.

The would rebuild the realms of magic, starting with the labyrinth, and then moving onto more important realms and cities, freeing them all. The mystical lands would be strong again, powerful, safe. Too powerful for darkness's liking. It wanted the balance to stay in its favour. 1000 lives of darkness if it won, a thousand lives of bliss if it didn't. So darkness was going to throw everything it had at the pair to drive them apart for all eternity. It wanted the girl for its very own, a light that shone bright as the sun. If it could ellipse that light, something so pure and make that little angel child fall, it could feed off that much chaos energy for centuries.

This time was different to the others, Sarah fought to hold onto the memory as long as she could. Throwing herself out of the bed, landing on her ass as her legs buckled under her. Hurling herself towards the wardrobe and that box, knowing somehow that it would help her. Trying so hard to hold onto the thoughts as her hands snatched at the shelves. They collapsed scattering everything to the floor. beneath her. "DAMN IT!" she muttered, crawling over the floor looking for what she needed.

The feeling was going so damn fast, far too swiftly for her liking. She had mere moments of clarity left before she slipped back down into stupidity. She was going to fail him, yet again she was too weak to be the woman she needed to be. She could never be anything but a spineless, useless coward, a fake, a fraud, a pathetic ghost of a girl she used to know so very well. The girl who had once fought the Goblin King and demanded her brother back, the girl who had fought her way to the castle beyond the Goblin City had died inside of her a very long time ago. She wished it wasn't so, she wanted so very badly to be her again. She just didn't know how to bring her back or what she needed to do anymore. How to make herself as strong as she needed to be to save everyone.

Then her fingers brushed it, just as the moment was almost over. That tiny piece of iron, a shock running through her body as she did so, making her feel more alive then ever. She dropped it and the icy chill came back over her flesh. Like she was somewhere cold and dark, and very alone in the darkness.

Her fingers scrambled to grab it again, and as the cool metal touched her warm sticky flesh, she felt human again, for the first time in years. She stood, a totally different woman. Powerful, self aware, important at last. Energy sparkling off of her skin, she looked younger, less worn by the world. She looked at the key in her hand, rolling it over in her palm. Her eyes glanced to the mirror, seeing a ghost of the old Sarah. She smiled faintly at the strange reflection of her past. "Time to go home, Sarah." she murmured softly.


	9. Chapter 9

Labyrinth

Chapter Nine

Sarah raided the back of her wardrobe until she found a pair of jeans, and the old shirt and waistcoat she'd last worn to the labyrinth. It was amazing as she dressed in them how much better she felt, just for the change in costume. A strong pair of boot tightly laced finished the ensemble. She took a black ribbon and tied her hair back tightly. Lacing the pendant around her throat, and tying the key to her belt loops. Taking a look in the mirror at the girl standing there, she was a ghost of someone she had used to know, and now the ghost seemed more alive then ever.

Grabbing her keys, and purse, Sarah caught a cab to Toby's flat. Hammering on the door, there was no answer, so she banged louder nearly knocking the door down. She heard something crash over inside, as the boy came crashing towards the door. He was dressed in boxers and an Adam Lambert tee-shirt, looking hung over as hell, eyes red and blood shot. He was a little too thin, the shirt hanging very loosely off his frame.

"Never took you for a boy band fan." Sarah commented dryly as:

I know the battles of chasing the shadows of who you wanna be

It doesn't matter, go on and shatter

I'm all you need  
broken pieces, break into me

So imperfectly what you should be

Lay here, its safe here,

I'll let you be broken open

Hide here, confide here

So we can be broken open

Played in the back ground.

"I'm not it's just the radio." Toby stuttered taking in the sight in front of him as his eyes struggled to focus on his sister's form. "What are you wearing?" he asked dumbly, and then his eyes aligned properly. "Dear Odin help me, SARAH?" he asked grabbing her shoulders, looking her over, afraid that if he let go it would all be over. "Am I dreaming?"

Sarah laughed, it felt strange after so long. "No Toby, the bitch is back and there's going to be HELL to pay." She drew the key from her pocket, and held it out to him. "What do you say to a little trip back home?" she asked.

Toby smiled at her, with tears in his eyes, "Do you know just how long I have waited for you to say those words? How much I have needed you to be her again?"

She nodded, "About as long as I've needed to be her again. I've been so close so many times, and been too scared to accept it. To believe that it was always real, that he was real, and that he needs me." She took a breath to steel herself for the next confession, "And that I need him as well. Toby I'm in love with Jareth and I'm going to do whatever it takes to prove that to him, and to save him." She waited nervously for him to answer.

Toby looked at her and nodded slowly, "Let me get changed." He stepped back and let her enter the apartment. Sarah looked at him confused as she shut the door behind her. Watching as Toby ran to his room to get dressed. Looking at the bottles all over the table and the half eaten junk food. Looked like he'd been going through hell lately as much as she had.

He came down the stairs just as the song changed over on the cd…

So I got my boots on, got the right 'mount of leather

And I'm doing me up with a black colour liner

And I'm workin' my strut but I know it don't matter

All we need in this world is some love

There's a thin line 'tween the dark side

And the light side baby tonight

It's a struggle gotta rumble trying to find it

Sarah looked at the CD player, "So much for it just being the radio."

Toby blushes and turned it down. "Shall we go kick ass in the other realm?" he asked.

"That it, we just go?" she asked, "No questions asked, no explanations, just the quest?"

"I've waited long enough for you to wake up, now I need to get you moving before you fall asleep again." He answered.

She was going to argue, but slowly nodded. Listening as another song started to play in the back ground.

Outside the rain's fallin' down  
There's not a drop that hits me  
Scream at the sky but no sound  
Is leavin' my lips  
It's like I can't even feel  
After the way you touched me  
I'm not asleep but I'm not awake  
After the way you loved me

I can't turn this around  
I keep running into walls that I can't break down  
I said I just wander around  
With my eyes wide shut because of you  
I'm a sleepwalker walker walker  
I'm a sleepwalker walker walker

"That's how I feel, like I've been dozing my life away since the labyrinth. Our damn mother and her treatments, I wish I'd gotten away. Wish that I'd never let her know about Jareth, and my past." She exclaimed.

Toby dragged her into a tight embrace. "I tried to get you out I swear, over and over I begged mother to let you out. To allow you to recover at home. I sat there outside the room hearing she scream as the treatments went off. Knowing I couldn't help you without getting locked up as well. That's why I wrote my stories, and my songs, and the drawings in the hope that I could keep the memory alive for you, for when you were ready to accept it all again. When you were ready to be who you needed to be. Ready to save the labyrinth, for us all."

Tears falling on his face like a summer rain, "I am so sorry for everything, I let you down. I should have tried harder to get you out, found some way to help you stay sane inside a sea of insanity."

Sarah stroke his back softly as he cried, "I don't blame you for anything that happened. Yes it was a living hell, and it still gives me nightmares. I can't close my eye without seeing that frigging cell, and feeling like I'm back in shock therapy, but it's made me who I am today. A fucked up evil bitch with grudge again the world. So I think it's time to stomp my size fives all over whatever is going off over there. Agreed?" she asked.

Toby nodded slowly, his face buried in her shoulder, "Do you really forgive me?" he mumbled.

"You are my brother, what else am I do but forgive you? You are the reason I remember him at all!" she smiled, "Now come on, we need to go use this key to get us to the labyrinth and to him."

Toby took her hand and nodded, "To the park?" he asked.

"I think so, I'm not sure yet. I will find out on the way." Sarah answered, dragged him out of the apartment.

Authors note: The songs are in order Broken Open, If I Had you and Sleepwalker all by Adam Lambert. As a nod to my best friend who's obsessed with his music.


	10. Chapter 10

Labyrinth

Chapter 10

Sarah stood at the bridge in the park where she had read the lines so many times before. In that white cotton medieval gown, acting out the scenes to bring some sort of small comfort to her in times of stress and sorrow. When she thought of looking for Jareth this was the very first place she had thought of to try and open the doorway. Now she was stood there, she wasn't entirely sure what she should be doing. If she should be doing anything at all, and not just waiting for something to happen to them.

Toby stood there patently sipping from a can of monster, trying to wake up, or just to clear his hang over would be good. He knew how this game worked, sooner or later Sarah would work out what to do and just do it on instinct. Like someone flipped a switch in her head and then she could carry on again. Right now she was clearly waiting for those instincts to kick in. Standing by the bridge muttering the words from the play over and over that she knew all too well.

Dawn was coming upon them quickly, colouring the heavens in the east. They were running out of time, even he could see that. "Sarah are you sure this is the place?" he asked softly, "Its getting very light."

"Shhh!" She complained, trying to listen to the faint words she could barely pick up on the wind. The answers she sough were so very close to her, that near she could taste them.

"Say your right words!" the wind muttered, "Go to him! Save him! Before its too late!"

Sarah nodded, finding herself drawn to the water all of a sudden. Walking slowly, carefully towards it almost in a half daze. Toby grabbed her arm to pull her back from the edge. "Sarah, stop please." he begged.

Sarah shook her head firmly, "No this is right, water is the portal. The mirror of the other world, where the two realms merge as one. The place all realms converse, from here we can get anywhere we need to." She looked down at their reflections in the early sunlight. "Ever looked in a pool or a mirror and seen someone else staring back at you? That's what it is, and that's the way in."

"If you are wrong, we drown?" Toby commented.

"If I'm right we go home!" she countered, "Besides you can swim so only I would drown."

"I'd save you, you know that." he huffed raking her hand slowly.

"Trust me please, I know I can do this. I need to do this." Sarah pleaded.

"I'd follow you into hell and back without question. You know that, and I always will." Toby promised.

"Thank you." Sarah said kissing him on the cheek. Standing on the slippery cobbles on the edge of the river, she pulled her brother up to stand next to her. The key in her other hand blazing as bright as the sun rising above their heads. "

"To the labyrinth, to Jareth." Toby whispered.

"To returning back to the only place I've ever felt safe, to going home at last." Sarah answered softly as they jumped.

Then the world went to hell around them, the river sinking further down into inky blackness then should be humanly possible. She knew the stream was nowhere near this deep, or this cloudy. The water growing more choppy around them, bubbling, boiling. The water scalding their skin, burning like it was acid. She couldn't breath, her lungs were burning, even through all of that she kept a hold of her brother's hand. Sarah knew the second she let go they were both lost.

Then just as she thought she was going to pass out everything stopped and she found she could breathe again. Rolling on her side she threw up the darkness from her lungs. Retching as her chest felt like it was on fire. She thought she was going to die for long moments before she could catch her breath. Toby rubbing her back when he had recovered enough to check on her.

Groggily she sat up, dizziness nearly crushing her back down to the ground. "Remind me next time I try to jump into a huge body of water, that I'm not as young as I still think I am!" she growled.

Toby laughed, "Come on old woman, time to get up!" he teased.

"Screw you, you pathetic pentalent child, how dare you sauce your sister like that!" she snapped, grudgingly allowing him to help her up. Pretty much only because she had no other choice.

Toby started giggling, "I missed your bitchy side sis."

"Oh yeah like a hole in the head I'm sure." she answered rolling her eyes.

Toby looked hurt, "I really did miss you sis, that other woman she just wasn't you."

Sarah hugged him closer, his head slipping onto her chest as she stroked his hair and kissed it. "It will all be okay baby, I promise. I would die rather then become that useless bitch again. She sickens me how she used to act and treat people. I will make things right, be who you need me to be if it takes me forever to do it all. To repair all the damage I did, even if he doesn't forgive me I'm still gonna try to help him." she vowed.

"I know Sarah that you will try, I also know that its not your fault what happened to us all. You weren't yourself, you did the best that you could." he said hugging her back.

"Well now I AM me, and I'm kicking ass and taking names again!" she snapped trying not to show how scared she was. Knowing more then likely that he could see straight through her. She looked around herself, taking in the familiar surroundings of the entrance to the labyrinth. A stone pond fallen into decay, the roses all over grown around the doorway now. The bricks that made up the wall of the labyrinth crumbling. She put out her hand to them and a brick shattered into dust under her gentle touch. Brow furrowed she chased along the length until she found the wooden door. Now hanging off its hinges the wood rotten and full of lice. "What happened here?" she demanded.

"The labyrinth was pretty bad last time I came, Jareth was a wreck. Half out of his mind, even so it was nothing like this! I never thought..." Toby trailed off.

Sarah choked back a sob, and ran into the labyrinth, searching down the corridors. The first part of the lands, the stone maze was in tatters, stone blocks everywhere. You could walk across the breaks in the walls now. She had to get through here, she had to find out what the hell had happened here! Slabs missing form the road, gaping holes down to the under levels of the realm.

She skipped between the holes as best she could. Then something hit her from behind, knocking her flying. She hit the ground hard, trying to roll out of the way. She slammed across one of the holes, grabbing at the edge trying to drag herself back up. "TOBY!" she screamed, but he was no where in sight. Something grabbed her ankles and dragged her down into the depths.

She struggled hitting her head on the rock face and then there was nothing but darkness for her. Sinking back onto an inky comforting blackness with a soft voice singing her to her slumbers. There was something so familiar so comforting about that voice, yet something so chilling as well.

Toby came up seconds later after her scream, "Sarah?" he shouted. He looked all around and could see no sign of her, "Great now what!"


	11. Chapter 11

Labyrinth a continuation

Chapter 11

Sarah floated on a sea of sweet music inhabiting her dreams, comforting, protecting her. That soft voice which she knew so well, that she had missed so very much drawing her down into a deep healing slumber. Rinsing away all of her fears and her troubles. She was home, safe finally and the man she loved was my her side. What more could she need in her life?! She felt him cuddle closer, stroking her back until she slipped completely into oblivion.

Under his spell completely lost, as the man chuckled to himself. "You will never find your true love Sarah. You will be mine forever. My Queen of my heart for all of eternity. I'm not giving you up, not ever and certainly not to that filthy half breed piece of shit dark creature. He doesn't deserve you, he never did! All he ever does is hurt and use you. Abuse and destory your gentle heart until there's nothing left but hate inside! I will teach you to love again my priecious angel of music. You shall be mine again. I will bind you to you will. I'll keep you safe and warm, I'll never leave you at all." He whispered.

Stroking the hair gently out of her eyes and laying a gentle line of kisses accross her cheek. "Rest well my beloved, when you awake it will be to the start of a brand new life away from all the pain and misery of your mortal existances. I will never make you go back to that hellish existance. To that pitiful life, you deserve so much more then that!"

He shut the door quietly and left his angel to sleep in peace.

X. X

Minutes, hours, days, weeks later, it had all just merged into one now timeless and eternal, Sarah awoke. She found herself in a black satin clad bed, in a darkened room lit only by large candlestick holders on every surface. On the walls four huge free standing displays at each corner of the bed. Walls of deep maroon, dark woodern panneling, a roaring open fireplace. There was little furniture in the room, only a wardrobe, the bed, a desk cluttered with papers and notebooks all over the surface, so high they were spilling to the floor below and two red velvet arm chairs facing the fireplace.

Her head hurt, pouring herself some water from the jug on the nightstand she sipped slowly trying to work out what had happened. Sitting on the edge of the bed, she noticed her clothing had been changed to a long satin nightdress, black trimmed with red ribbons. A matching robe lay on the end of the bed, which she pulled around her shoulders.

Sarah had no idea how she had gotten here or even where here was. She'd fallen and hit her head, and then it was all a blank. She explored the hazy memories as she explored the room. Finding herself drawn to the desk, flicking through the papers realising they were musical scoreds and song lyrics. Some of which she knew very well, weren't there's songs by Adam Lambert? She was sure she had heard them on the radio at work. She picked up one called Cuckoo and read it.

"Cause tonight we are taking over the town, I wanna lose my mind like a manic and cross the line. Never looking back we're on the loose getting crazy. Cuckoo, gonna party til they take us away." A man sung as he put his arms around her gently.

His spicy cinnamon scent over powering her sense as she cuddled into his arms. "I missed you so very badly." She murmered.

"As did I my beloved angel child, I will never leave you again I promise." He whispered kissing down her neck.

"Don't, I couldn't take the pain if you went away again. It would destory my soul to lose you." Sarah whispered back.

"And mine to lose you again cupcake." He promised, swinging her around into a deep kiss, long and lingering with just a little touch of passionate spice. Just enough to keep her hooked without tipping her over the edge.

Sarah's eyes were closed during the embrace moaning softly as he trailed his fingers lightly down her spine, pulling her closer.

When he finally let her go, she lent her head against his shoulder tiredly, enjoying the sensation of being back in his arms after so long. She felt like she'd come home finally, perfectly content. She leaned up to kiss him again, finally looking at him properly, pulling back in surprise.

It wasn't her beloved Jareth, her Goblin King, her true love she had been finding comfort in. It was a kid, tall and hot she had to admit. He had a really nice body, barely hidden underneath a tight black tee shirt and tight leather trousers which laced up the sides. Short silvery grey hair spiked up with far too much gel, more black eye liner and black eye shadow then a gothic rocker chick would wear and half a dozen assorted silver pendants of various lengths around his neck. She noticed an ankh and a pretty skeleton poking out of the mixture.

"Who the hell are you? And where is Jareth?!" She demanded dragging the robe closer around herself to cover the low cut neckline completely embarressed at how she had been acting like a cat in heat. Looking around the room for something she could use as a weapon. One of the candle sticks was looking like her best option, she mentally started working out how many paces were between her and the heavy metal object.

"Darling, don't you remember me?" He asked, face full of faked concern. "Its Adam, your husband."

He reached for her arm and she jumped back. "I don't have a husband! I was in the labyrinth looking for Jareth and then I was here. What did you do to me?" She demanded.

"Oh Sarah, I'm so sorry baby. You hit your head, you've not been very well at all. There's no Jareth, only ever us. Sweetheart please tell me you remember me." Adam begged. He moved faster then you would think humanly possible to show her the ebony and garnet ring on her finger.

She looked at it in a mixture of shock and horror. "I'm not married, I'd remember that I'm pretty sure! And I'd remember you too. So cut the crap and tell me what you really want before I rip your head off!"

Adam lent in closer to her, staring her right into her eyes. Holding her wrist tightly enough to leave marks. "You love me Sarah, I am your husband. You would never leave me!"

She looked back at him glassy eye'd. "Husband, never leave." She mumbled in a dull drone.

"Good girl!" He laughed, letting her hand go. "Now we can do this!"

Authors note: sorry for lack of updates. Due to a relationship break down I have had to move house and I am without net. Bless zuzana for putting these updates up for me should be back to normal in january. Thanks for your understanding.


	12. Chapter 12

Labyrinth a Continuation

Chapter 12

authors note: seems I wrote this ages ago and forgot to update. My regrets.

Day slipped by in a daze for Sarah in that small room. She slept most of the time, exhausted from her long illness or so Adam had explained to her. Huge chunks of her memory seemed to be missing, mostly of their marriage which seemed strange to her. Surely she would have tried to hold onto memories like that? That the pleasent memories would win out against the nightmares she was enduring.

Adam kept telling her that it was okay, he didn't mind that she hardly remembered him still. That he would help her to remember him, and be herself once again. He kept giving her these strange herbal brews to try and help her to regain what she had lost. They tasted vile and never seemed to do her any good, but she drank them three times a day every single day to make him happy. She would do anything to try and keep him content.

They made her so sleepy, she never seemed to be able to stay awake for long after she had drunk one. Sleeping on and off all of the day, and most of the night too. Sarah read mostly while she was aware enough, just to keep her mind turning over. She never saw outside of the room and the ajoining bathing chambers. There wasn't even a window there for her to see daylight.

As the days rolled by the lack of sunshine started to get to her. The walls of the chamber felt like they were starting to close in on her. She had always hated being stuck inside, always craved the fresh air and light on her skin. This place was driving her almost to insanity, she couldn't breathe.

Adam only tended to visit her when it was evening time and she guessed that the sun had set. The rest of the time she was attended to by Goblin servants that never spoke. The isolation was making her so miserable, she read books half heartedly and leafed through his songs, but as time wore by she took to pacing the room constantly. Feeling the walls closing in on her.

Sarah had to get out of here, she tried the outer door only to find it locked. She pounded her fist into the door over and over screaming for someone to let her out. No one came, in fact that day not even Adam bothered to visit her. Attacking the door with all her strength until she wore herself out to the point of sleeping.

She dozed for a few hours, when she awoke she found a plate of food had been left for her. She sighed having missed the door openning to even try and escape that way. She cursed herself for not paying more attention to those blasted potions. She was completely convinced now it was them making her sleep all the time nothing else, and them draining her strength.

To try and prove or disprove the idea, the evening amount she poured half away and mixed it with water so she wasn't taking the full dose to see what difference it made. Adam again didn't arrive that evening time, she watched the hours ticking by on the pocket watch he had lent to her.

The thirteenth hour struck and passed by without a sound. He always came on the stroke of that hour. Disappointed she turned back to reading the book she had been studying so intently all day. She had found some maps of the old labyrinth and was searching for the things she remembered from Jareth's time.

Sarah still distantly remembered him now and then. She always felt in her heart that there was something wrong about her husband, but when he was by her side it felt too damn good to fight. He made her feel amazing, like she could fly. Do anything in the world, which made these absenses from him even harder for her to endure. It was like she needed him to go on existing, and it shouldn't be like that. She should be stronger then that, not need some damn man to complete her!

She fell to sleep at long last for the first night in a long time without the feverish dreams that plagued her. There was dancing, laughter, and a beautiful half remembered song. A man in a mask and a blue glittering suit, and what a man! A clock chimed in the back ground, and the dress, oh my god that ballgown! Covered in beads, and flowers, ribbons flowing in her hair.

Sarah awoke and know that someone had just been in the room with her. She could smell Adam's aftershave on the air. He was avoiding her and she wanted to know why, and what the hell was going on here. Enough was enough now, she was gonna break skulls until she gained her answers.

Food and potion had been left for her, she ignored both taking the thin letter openner from the desk and crossing to the door. It was locked as always. Today that wasn't going to stop her. Kneeling she poked the blade into the lock and moved it. Slowly with her ear to the door she worked the barrels of the lock into place. It was a trick Toby had shown her in his more jaded part of his youth.

Their step mother had taken to locking them inside the house all the time, and he had been bored of the hassle. She was rusty for sure, but it soon came back to her nimble fingers. Pins turned in the lock and fell into their correct locations, the door swinging open.

Sarah dressed quickly in warmer clothing and made her escape into the corrider, the letter openner stuck down the back of her jeans. The only weapon she had, but she knew she was going to need it.


	13. Chapter 13

Labyrinth

Chapter 13

David sighed to himself, the long days recording were starting to tell on him. He was tired, drained exhausted. He couldn't stop thinking about that girl he had seen so briefly, it was like she haunted his every waking moment. He couldn't even sleep at night without her face appearing in his dreams waking him instantly. Life was difficult coupled with the long hours at work, he couldn't remember the last time he had eaten. He was on a downward spiral if he wasn't careful, the night before he had nearly collapsed in the recording studio. Caffiene and sugar was all that was getting him through right now, and a few dozen stiff drinks at the end of every single day.

Running his fingers through his spiked hair and dashed some cool water on his face to try and wake himself up, wondering if he was going crazy. So many questions he couldn't answer, so many strange feelings he couldn't explain. There was no one he could even share his concerns with because he knew how it sounded. Like Mr Bowie was cracking under the pressure of his new found fame.

He walked to the studio, sipping some fruity coffee medley from Starbucks on his way. Pausing outside a bookshop to stare at the bright display in the window, a series of manga books with a set of covers that chilled him. Those goblins, those images they were identical to the drawings he kept being possessed to create. Without another thought, he entered the shop purchasing the whole collection. Perhaps here he could start to find a way to make sense of all this weirdness in his life? Clues in books, could it even be possible? He had to hope so for his own sake.

The rest of the day was the usual bullshit of 'Very nice Mr Bowie, but perhaps just one more take just to be sure.' He must have sung this same number a million times this week, without knowing what else they wanted from him. It was getting to the point he was starting to hate the song he had created with the constant repeats of performing it. A faraway look in his eyes finding himself trapped in half remembrances. Eternally greatful when lunch was called so he could escape for a while, to look over the books that had been puzzling him the whole day.

Flicking through as many as he could in the short amount of time he had semi privately, the drawings captivated him. A tall stranger trying to woo the heart of a young girl, to prove to her that his heart was true, his love endless. That was so close, so familiar, it was right on the tip of his mind, so much so it chilled him. Slamming the book roughly into his bag not caring that he was damaging it David was shaking now all over, even though the temperature was booming. He felt chilled to his core from the words on that terrible page.

"Are you okay man?" someone asked.

He nodded uttering some gruff reply, heading outside for some air. Battling the urge to throw up, his head felt like it was going to explode from the stimulus. Dizzily he found his way to a bench and sat down trying to compose himself. One thing he did remember, the girl's name was Sarah and he had to find her again. Only she could bring him a sense of peace again. He knew that she worked in the building, so at least it should be fairly easy to locate her. They should keep staff records, address, phone surely?

Now if only he could control his rolling stomach, he couldn't believe how ill he felt from reading a few stupid words. It was strange to think that it was affecting him so badly, and he still couldn't quite work out why. Sipping a bottle of water slowly to centre himself again before heading back inside slowly towards reception to find out where HR was. The directions were long and complex, he lost his way several times.

When he finally got there they were extremely unhelpful. He only knew her first name, and section she worked on, they said they couldn't find her. Then that they couldn't give out her personal details. In the end after threatening them they finally confessed that they had no contact details as she was paid in cash. Adding that she hadn't been back into work for several days, not even to pick up her last pay check. Normally she collected every Saturday evening as she left work like clock work, but nothing. He was frustrated to come so close to finding his answers and then be dropped back to square one again.

David would tear the city apart if he had to, just to catch a glimpse of that radiant beauty. For now though he had only one route remaining to him to try and make sense of the pounding in his head. The artist of the manga books, clearly he knew something about what was happening. He googled the name on his phone locating a book signing that evening back at the store he had visited just a few hours ago. Screw work just this once, he had a better place to be. It was time to find the author and harass him until he spilled whatever information he might have on this subject.

This time Mr Bowie was not taking no for an answer, he would push until he got what he needed one way or another. Even if it meant him being locked up. Nothing would keep the truth from him. He wouldn't, he couldn't allow himself to be controlled any longer. Somehow inside he felt like he was being played, somewhere buried deep in his personality he knew that whoever was dealing these cards he would destroy.


	14. Chapter 14

Labyrinth

Chapter 14

Toby got ready for his book signing, it had been days since he had entered the Labyrinth with his sister at his side. They had hardly entered the first piece before she just vanished without a sound. Like she'd been erased from existence. Hours he had spent searching, never once finding a sign of what had happened to her. Then without hearing anything something had snuck up behind him, felt a blow to the side of his head Toby went down fast as it followed with several more blows.

Next thing he knew he woke back in his bed at home, but Sarah was gone. She hadn't traveled back yet, was still stuck in the labyrinth somewhere. He had no way of getting to her or even knowing if she was okay or not. He didn't have her key, so he couldn't locate the entrance. He had tried over and over again, revisiting every single location he had ever stumbled into the lands from. Pretty sure that the water mirror trick had only worked because of her own magic, if he tried alone he would drown.

Toby even checked back through Sarah's old diaries and his own manga's searching for answers. Regretfully as yet he had found nothing to help him. Guilt lay heavily on his heart for abandoning his sister to a fate that could be anything. He hoped in his heart that she was back with Jareth and finally happy. Somehow he doubted it given the state of the realms there. It would take a lot for Sarah to redeem her dark lord, a long time and a great deal of effort. Yet Toby knew that she could do it if anyone could. She could kick the ass of any living creature when she got into it. Even so he longed to find her again just to see for himself she was safe.

He tried to spruce himself a little before he met his public. Gel his hair kinda, paint his eye make up just right. How he was expected to look, no matter how he felt. Strutting out to the audience blowing kisses, shaking hands, talking excitedly about the new book. Giving out a few choice spoilers, tempting people with hints about the following storylines along with hints about a film being made of his very first story. The tale of how Sarah and Jareth first met, Henson had expressed an interest in converting it to the big screen. Toby was super excited in love with the idea, if anyone could breathe life into the labyrinth it would be that epic creature workshop. He could already picture the puppets of his creations as he described it all to the fawning crowd. Hyperly painting the surroundings for them, drawing them further into the goblin fever.

After the talk came signing, endless signings, hundreds of people coming and going all the time. It was hard work, a constant blur of faces crossing in front of him, a million names to sign. His hand cramping from all the writing. Toby was so glad when it was finally over and the last person had left. Folding up the banner and packing the books away, he couldn't wait for a good meal. A nice long bubble bath and some chocolate cake.

"May I have a moment?" a male voice asked.

"The signing is over, but if I can help you I will do." Toby said as he turned around. He went white. "Jareth?" he stammered. No though the man in front of him was dressed in normal clothes. Jeans, tee shirt, denim jacket, just an average person. No make up, short well shaven head of hair. The man didn't have the attitude nor the stance of the king, yet it was still him, there was no doubt about that little fact.

"My name is David Bowie, I take it that you know me even though I do not know you. I have questions about your books and about myself. I draw these every night, pieces of my memory are absent, I can't sleep, eat, rest. I don't know who I am anymore, but I'm looking for Sarah. Please tell me that you can help me? I'm desperate, I can pay you. Just hear me out I'm begging." He asked.

Shoving the stack of drawings into Toby's hands, the pencil drawing of Sarah right on top of the pile. The likeness was uncanny, the picture so life like. He leafed through seeing drawings of a thousand things he remembered. There was even a sketch of his mum's bedroom, Sarah stood there with a barn owl over her head. "Do you honestly not remember who you are?" he asked quietly.

"Please just help me, I feel like I'm going out of my mind here. I don't know what I'm thinking or feeling anymore." David sighed.

"Did you read any of the stories yet? He asked.

The other man shook his head, "They frighten me honestly, like I need to run and hide."

"How did you become this David Bowie?" Toby asked, "What's the last thing that you remember? Or should I saw the first?"

David searched his memory, "Busking on the streets a few months before an agent picked me up. Maybe six months ago at the very most."

Toby stared at him blankly, "You only remember six months of your life? How do you function?"

"Barely." He muttered.

"Come for a nice coffee and I will try to help." He promised, wondering how he was gonna break this news without cracking the guys mind like an egg. I mean how do you turn around to a guy and tell him that he is the king of another world? This wasn't going to be easy even with the books as a guideline. Suddenly he wished that Sarah was here to guide him, feeling every bit of his only 17 years of age.


End file.
